Arc Raiders isn’t quite the game folks thought it would be when it was first teased, and honestly, that’s turned out to be a good thing. The shift into a tense, PvPvE extraction shooter has given it a sharp edge. You drop into the wreckage of Caligara with one goal—grab what you can and get out alive. Sounds simple, but every other squad on the map is chasing the same loot. And then there’s the ARC, those relentless machines that don’t care who you are—they just want you gone. You quickly learn that every move matters, and even grabbing a stash of ARC Raiders Coins can turn into a fight for your life.

It’s not your usual run-and-gun. Every sound makes you second-guess. That gunfire in the distance—are they fighting ARC units or lying in wait for someone like you? Even finding good gear comes with a question: is it worth hauling to an extraction point that’s probably being watched? Embark Studios clearly gets what makes extraction shooters tick—it’s all about that risk versus reward. You can spend twenty minutes sneaking around, loading up on gear, and then lose it all in a three-second ambush. It’s brutal, but when you do make it out, the rush is unmatched.

The ARC themselves change everything. They’re not just filler enemies—they’re a wildcard. You might be eyeing up another squad, waiting for the right moment, when a massive ARC enforcer stomps in. Suddenly you’re deciding whether to team up for a few seconds or take advantage of the chaos. These three-way scraps are where the game shines. You’re constantly juggling threats, ammo, and whether to fight or fade away into cover.

Arc Raiders is, at its core, a nerve test. It pushes you to think tactically, stick tight with your squad, and accept that sometimes you’ll lose everything. The game doesn’t hand out mercy—it makes you earn every win. If you’re after that heart-in-your-throat, all-or-nothing loop, this is it. Just be ready to get knocked down again and again before you finally walk away with the prize, maybe even clutching a few Raider Tokens for sale for your trouble.